Tag Archives: Joseph Fernandez

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Fernandez captures ABF title; Haddabah Shines in Clearwater

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Clearwater, FL (October 19, 2021) – Fire Fist Boxing Promotions returned to Banquet Maters in Clearwater Saturday, October 16 and treated fans to an entertaining 7 fight card.


Popular junior welterweight Joseph Fernandez of St. Petersburg, FL became the ABF champion with an impressive third round stoppage against veteran Jose Forero of Panama. Backed by a large cheering section, Fernandez got off to a strong start and landed many clean shots against the rugged Forero. In round three, the southpaw Fernandez connected with picturesque right hook to Forero’s head that sent him crashing to the canvas.


Forero bravely got up at the count of 8 but was in no condition to continue, forcing Referee Michael DeJesus to halt the contest at 2:10.


With the victory, Fernandez improves to 14-3-3 with 5 knockouts. Forero slips to 13-9-1 (11 KO’s).


Light heavyweight Imran “El Toro Arab” Haddabah of St. Petersburg destroyed Los Angeles, CA’s Victor Garcia Rivera in 1 minute and 51 seconds. The heavy-handed Haddabah scored three knockdowns and is now 3-0 with all of his victories coming by first round stoppage.


135 pound up and comer Iron Alvarez of Tampa, FL improved to 14-0 (11 KO’s) following a hard-fought decision over Miami, FL based Argentinian Jonatan Hernan Godoy, 5-11 (2 KO’s).


Alvarez had a significant height and reach advantage and peppered Godoy with jabs and straight rights from the opening bell. Alvarez’ repeated blows opened a cut over Godoy’s left eye and helped him score a hard knockdown but Godoy had no intentions of packing it in.


Bleeding and down on the scorecards, Godoy begun pressing the fight and successfully connected with a number of punches to Alvarez’ head.


After six entertaining rounds, scores were 58-55 and 59-54 twice.


Junior lightweight Daniel “G.D.F.E.” Bailey of Tampa improved to 8-0 with an impressive six round decision over Aguadilla, Puerto Rico’s Pedro Hernandez. An Army veteran and multi-time amateur champion, Bailey displayed solid skills and looks to be a prospect on the rise.


In a women’s flyweight contest, Maryguenn Vellinga Hinz scored a third round TKO over debuting Simona Sarpa of Tampa. Vellinga Hinz, of Park City, UT, is 3-1-2 with 2 wins by knockout.


Cruiserweight Adrian Pinheiro of Orlando, FL improved to 3-0 (3 KO’s) with a first round knockout of Wilson, NC’s Dequanti Johnson and Tampa middleweight Christopher Rodriguez moved to 2-0 (2 KO’s) by KO’ing Milwaukee, WI’s Jay Ellis in round one.


 “I am thrilled we were able to give the fans an entertaining show,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing. “There is a lot of up and coming talent in the Tampa-St Pete region and the fans have always been great in packing the house on fight night. We’re looking forward to our next show.”


Fire Fist Boxing Promotions returns to Banquet Masters on January, 28. More information will follow.


For more information, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/Firefistboxing.
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Hard working Fernandez ready for first main event

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St. Petersburg, FL (October 14, 2021) – To say that St. Petersburg junior welterweight Joseph Fernandez has a good work ethic would be an understatement.


Each weekday, Fernandez’ morning begins at 4:15 AM when he wakes up to get ready for strength and conditioning training at 5. Following the class, Fernandez grabs something to eat, cleans up and heads to his fulltime job installing hurricane windows and doors. The labor-intensive position has him working 8 to 10 hours per day. After work, Fernandez has a short time to relax and recharge before a 2-3 hour workout at Fight Fitness Center in Pinellas Park, FL.


Needless to say, it’s a challenge for the St. Petersburg native.


“It requires a lot of hard work and dedication,” said Fernandez, who has an excellent 13-3-3 professional ledger with 4 wins by KO. I have to remain focused on what I’m doing at that moment and not think about what else I’ve got going on during the day.”


On Saturday, October 16, Fernandez headlines for the first time when he meets tough Panamanian Jose Forero in a ten round contest for the ABF Atlantic 140 pound championship.


A veteran of 22 fights, Forero’s shared the squared circle with champions and contenders including George Kambosos, Jezreel Corrales, Jaime Arboleda and Willian Silva.


“He’s a durable fighter who likes to come forward and he won’t go down easily,” Fernandez said of Forero. “I’ve watched him a few times and he’s been in there with some really good fighters but we’re prepared for everything he has to offer. I’m excited to be headlining a card for the first time and worked incredibly hard to get here. The plan is to put on a great show and emerge victorious!”


The card is promoted by Fire Fist Boxing Promotions in association with Pahlavan Promotions and takes places at Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL.


13-0 lightweight Iron Alvarez of Tampa, FL will swap leather with Jonatan “El Guapo” Godoy of Argentina over six rounds in the lightweight division. Alvarez, has 10 wins by knockout and scored a 2nd round stoppage of Pablo Cupul last month.


Lightweight Daniel Bailey of Tampa puts his 7-0 record on the line against upset-minded Puerto Rico’s Pedro Hernandez in a six rounder. In his last bout, Hernandez beat 5-0 Daniel Perez and Bailey will be Hernandez’ sixth straight unbeaten foe.


In separate for round contests, light heavyweight Imran Haddabah of St. Petersburg meets Victor Rivera of Los Angeles, CA, flyweight Simona Sarpa of Tampa by way of Italy squares off against Park City, UT’s Maryguenn Vellinga Hinz, cruiserweight Adrian Pinheiro of Orlando, FL faces Wilson, NC’s Dequanti Johnson and Tampa middleweight Christopher Rodriguez challenges Milwaukee, WI native Jay Ellis.


Former Kazakh amateur champion Nikoay Shvab, a lightweight residing in Miami, FL, and Tampa bantamweight Luis Rivera are scheduled to appear in separate contests.


Tickets are on sale at bit.ly/boxing-tickets or by calling 727-525-3159. Doors open at 5:30 and the opening bell will sound at 6:30.


For more information on Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/firefistboxing.
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Fire Fist Boxing Promotions Returns October 16

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For Immediate Release


Tampa, FL (September 7, 2021) – Fire Fist Boxing Promotions returns to Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL Saturday, October 16.


The card is presented in association with Pahlavan Promotions and tickets are on sale at bit.ly/boxing-tickets or by calling 727-525-3159.


Doors open at 5:30 PM and first fight is scheduled for 6:30.


Headlining this exciting evening of boxing will be a ten round 140 pound showdown between St. Petersburg, FL’s Joseph Fernandez and Panama’s Jose Forero for the ABF Atlantic championship.


Fernandez,13-3-3 (4 KO’s), is riding a 6 fight win streak and stopped his last three foes. A crowd favorite in the Tampa Bay region, Fernandez most recently scored a sixth round stoppage of 33 fight veteran Carlos Pena.


The heavy-handed Forero has a record of 13-8-1 with 11 wins by knockout. He’s faced several notable foes including George Kambosos, Jaime Arboleda and former world champion Jezreel Corrales. In Forero’s last fight he put forth an admirable effort in a 9th round stoppage defeat against contender Willian Silva.


In an explosive eight round matchup where somebody’s 0 must go, heavyweight Geovanny “La Bestia” Bruzon puts his 6-0 record on the line against 5-0 Lenier Pero. Both fighters are originally from Cuba and have decorated amateur backgrounds. The winner of this contest will take a significant step forward in the heavyweight division.


Local favorite Arnold Hill of St Petersburg meets Michigan’s Emmanuel Sanchez in a six round middleweight contest.


Plant City, FL based Brazilian lightweight Willian “Baby Face” Silva and light heavyweight Imran Haddabah of St Petersburg are scheduled to appear against opponents to be named. Additional bouts will be added shortly.


“We’re glad to be back in Clearwater at the beautiful Banquet Masters venue working alongside our friends at Pahlavan Promotions,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. “This card has a good mix of everything – local talent, international boxers plus a rare matchup between undefeated and highly skilled heavyweights. I’m looking forward to seeing everybody on the 16th.”


For more information on Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, visit Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/firefistboxing.
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Fire Fist Boxing Promotions adds unbeaten Reyes Jr. to June 16 card MRJ Poster 4.jpg

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Tampa, FL (May 3, 2018) – Dynamic welterweight prospect Mark Reyes Jr. will face veteran Javier Garcia in a six round special attraction bout Saturday, June 16 at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg, FL.

 

 

 

Fighting out of Tampa, Reyes Jr. is 6-0 with 4 wins by knockout. The popular 22-year-old possesses explosive athleticism and dynamic punching power, most recently dispatching Larry Yanez inside of three rounds. A top amateur prior to his pro career, Reyes Jr’s camp believes the sky’s the limit.

 

 

 

A 25 fight veteran, the Gurabo, Puerto Rico native faced a number of quality opponents. Garcia, 8-16-1 (5 KO’s), battled 11 unbeaten foes including title contenders Jose Gonzalez and Emmanuel de Jesus, Harold Calderon and Derrick Cuevas among others.

 

 

 

Having fought all of his bouts in the Tampa Bay area, Reyes Jr. expects another strong showing June 16.

 

 

 

“Every fight I look forward to showcasing my talent and hard work. June 16 is another chance to do so and I hope to impress new fans at the St. Pete Coliseum.”

 

 

 

Fire Fist Boxing has put together a solid card, headlined by an NBA Intercontinental middleweight showdown between unbeaten Ireland-based Tampa transplant Connor Coyle and rival Danny Pastrana of Orlando, FL.

 

 

 

The co-feature is an important 8 round matchup between cruiserweights Nicholas Iannuzzi (19-4) and Vincent Miranda (17-2). Featherweight phenom Jose “Lil Pacquiao” Resendez, Ricky “Cowboy” Tomlinson, Ali Tareh, Joseph Fernandez, Rodriguez Cade and Kendrick Thomas are all scheduled to appear in separate bouts.

 

 

 

“This card continues to get better and better,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. “We’ve got an awesome event scheduled for June 16 loaded with quality fighters. Mark Reyes Jr. is a talented fighter with a great fan base. I advise everybody to come out June 16 because you’ll get to see a number of quality fighters from difference backgrounds giving it their all”.

 

 

 

Tickets are on sale now at https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0D00548D9F1C967E.

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“Lil Pacquiao” Resendiz added to June 16 card in St Petersburg, FL

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St. Petersburg, FL (April 26, 2018) – Featherweight Jose “Lil’ Pacquiao” Resendiz will face Vincent Jennings in a six round contest as part of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions’ June 16 card at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg.

 

 

 

Tickets are on sale now at https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0D00548D9F1C967E.

 

 

 

With a physical and stylistic resemblance to boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Resendiz built a strong fan base and rewards supporters with an all-action style. Originally from Mexico but now fighting out of St. Petersburg, Resendiz is 5-1 with 3 knockouts. He owns impressive wins over Mohamed El Marcouchi (2-0) and Raul Chirino (7-1), mercifully stopping the latter in a brilliant performance.

 

 

 

His lone defeat came under extremely seedy circumstances and many argue he should’ve won by disqualification. In that contest, Resendiz badly hurt unbeaten Joshua Pagan with a body shot in the final minute of the bout and looked for the knockout. A fan literally jumped onto the ring apron and took a swing at Resendiz’ head, forcing the referee to stop the fight and restore order. This also allowed Pagan unexpected time to recover and he ultimately claimed a split decision victory.

 

 

 

Hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, Jennings is 5-5-1 with 4 KO’s. The 33-year-old has been matched extremely tough, facing four consecutive unbeaten opponents in their backyard. Jennings dropped multiple controversial decisions and has a win over contender Dennis Galarza.

 

 

 

“I’m very excited to have Jose on the card,” said Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. “He really does fight a lot like Manny Pacquiao and fans love that style but he’ll have his hands full with a very gritty opponent in Vincent Jennings who has already shown his willingness to fight anybody, anywhere at any time.”

 

 

 

This excellent evening of boxing features eight bouts, headlined by an exciting 10 round NBA middleweight showdown between 7-0 Irish sensation Connor “The Kid” Coyle and Orlando, FL’s Danny Pastrana. Tampa cruiserweight Nicholas “Showstopper” Iannuzzi, 19-4 (11 KO’s), meets Puerto Rican Vincent Miranda, 17-2 (9 KO’s), in the eight round co-feature.

 

 

 

Crowd favorites Ricky “Cowboy” Tomlinson, Ali Tarah, Joseph Fernandez, Kendrick Thomas and Rodriguez Cade will all appear in

separate undercard bouts.

 

 

 

All fights are pending Florida State Athletic Commission approval.

 

 

 

For more information on Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, go to Firefistboxing.net or Facebook.com/firefistboxing.

 

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Silva sharp for Saturday showdown with Casarez; targets the best at 135

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Plant City, FL (March 1, 2018) – Many in the boxing world best remember Brazilian lightweight William Silva for his gutsy 2016 performance against Felix Verdejo. In the HBO televised bout, Silva showed tremendous heart and toughness but was outpointed over ten rounds in front of a sold out pro-Verdejo crowd.
“I didn’t have the right team or training camp at the time,” said Silva, who entered the Verdejo bout 23-0.
Since relocating to Florida from Arizona, Silva linked up with Jose Rodriguez at the Plant City Boxing Gym and inked a promotional agreement with Tampa-based Fire Fist Boxing Promotions. In November 2017, he returned to the ring after a year and a half layoff to outpoint Ariel Vasquez. Thus far, everything has paid off and Silva’s currently in top form.
“He’s been training at a fantastic pace, said Rodriguez. “His balance and power are extraordinary – he’s ready to fight!”
On Saturday, March 3, Silva faces tough Rogelio Casarez in the 10 round main event of a Fire Fist Boxing card at Banquet Masters in Clearwater, FL. Silva-Casarez is for the NBA World and IBO Continental lightweight championships. Casarez, who has a deceiving 13-6 record, faced excellent opposition including Jamel Herring and multi-division title contender Cesar Seda, who he took the distance last August.
“I don’t know much about him besides that he’s a tough lefty that comes at you,” Silva said of his opponent.
Even with limited information about the man he’ll swap punches with Saturday evening, Silva’s confident he’ll defeat his Arkansas-based foe before setting his sights on the 135 pound division’s elite.
“(With a victory) I hope to get ranked and fight the top fighters at 135. This is my time to make it happen because I’ve got the right people behind me that believe in my career.”
The card starts at 7 pm and also features 7 other bouts including local standouts Nicholas Iannuzzi, Antonio Tarver Jr., Joseph Fernandez, Ricky Tomlinson and Ozodek Aripov.
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and tables can be purchased by calling 813-734-2461. Fans can also watch the eight bout card live anywhere in the world for just $9.99 by going to https://www.fite.tv/watch/lightweight-battle/2mzhw/.